In Gratitude: Remembering Piyush Pandey, The Soul of Indian Advertising

It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Piyush Pandey, the legendary advertising visionary who passed away on October 23, 2025, at the age of 70. His death from pneumonia complications marks the end of an extraordinary era—one in which advertising in India found its authentic voice, its heartbeat, and its soul.​

For over four decades at Ogilvy India, Piyush didn't just create advertisements; he crafted cultural moments that became part of our collective memory. The man behind iconic campaigns like Fevicol's unbreakable bond, Cadbury's "Kuch Khaas Hai," Asian Paints' "Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai," and the Vodafone ZooZoos transformed how brands spoke to Indians—not in borrowed Western voices, but in the idioms, humor, and emotions of everyday life.​

A Legacy Written in the Language of the Heart

What made Piyush truly special was his instinct for finding the extraordinary in the ordinary. He understood that great advertising wasn't about clever tricks or foreign formulas—it was about truth, warmth, and genuine human connection. He gave brands not just taglines, but souls. Under his creative leadership, Ogilvy India was ranked the number one agency for 12 consecutive years, but his real achievement was making advertising feel less like persuasion and more like participation in the national conversation.​

His accolades speak volumes: the Padma Shri in 2016, the Lion of St. Mark at Cannes Lions in 2018 (the first Asian to receive this honor), and countless other awards. Yet those who knew him remember him not for his trophies, but for his booming laugh, his humility, his mentorship, and his unwavering belief that creativity thrives when people feel safe to bring their whole selves to work.​

Gratitude for a Life Well-Lived

As his colleagues at Ogilvy beautifully expressed: "Piyush didn't just work at Ogilvy. He was Ogilvy". His sister, singer-actress Ila Arun, called him "the life of our family". Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman honored him as "a titan and legend of Indian advertising" who "transformed communication by bringing everyday idioms, earthy humor, and genuine warmth into it".​

To the man who taught us that advertising could be art, that brands could have hearts, and that creativity and empathy were never opposites—thank you, Piyush Pandey. You showed generations of advertisers that the best ideas come from watching, listening to, and genuinely caring about people. Your work will continue to inspire, your campaigns will remain timeless, and your spirit will live on in every ad that dares to speak with authenticity and love.​

Rest in peace, legend. Your legacy is majboot—unbreakable.